Giant Eagle is now accepting SNAP payments for online orders in Ohio

Giant Eagle is now accepting online electronic benefit transfer (EBT) payments in Ohio from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients, the regional grocer announced Sunday.

Giant Eagle operates dozens of locations in Ohio as part of its more than 470 stores there and in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

“The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the critical role that online grocery ordering and delivery can play in combatting food access challenges,” Giant Eagle said in a statement. “Even before the pandemic, transportation challenges made it difficult for many facing hunger to make needed trips to their local grocery store.”

Giant Eagle said it took “months of collaboration” with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to meet all of the requirements to accept EBT payments.

Retailers have been slow to accept SNAP payments online, given the technical and regulatory hurdles involved. Big merchants such as Walmart and Amazon only began taking SNAP payments for digital orders in 2019, a practice that has since expanded to smaller retailers and grocers.

“At Giant Eagle, we take seriously our responsibility to help our neighbors thrive by providing safe access to healthy foods,” Dan Donovan, Giant Eagle spokesperson, said in a statement. “We are extremely appreciative of our partnerships with ODJFS and USDA, enabling us to evolve how we serve Ohio.”

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The grocer said it is working with partners such as the Greater Cleveland Food Bank to communicate to shoppers that stores now accept SNAP EBT.

Eligible shoppers can now use SNAP cards via Giant Eagle’s website or app.

“At the Food Bank, we talk to people every day who are eligible for SNAP and we know the difference that program can make in people’s lives,” Tiffany Scruggs, the Food Bank’s VP of client services, said in a statement. “SNAP is an incredibly important program that helps to ensure that all of our neighbors can afford healthy, nutritious food. By Giant Eagle accepting SNAP payments online, they not only have made shopping more convenient and easy, but have also made it more accessible for thousands of our neighbors who might otherwise struggle to afford the fresh, nutritious foods they need to lead healthy, active lives.”